Micro-reactor, dissociation constant measuring apparatus, dissociation constant measuring method, and dissociation constant measuring program

Abstract

In order to make it possible to predict a dissociation constant at an initial stage of reaction, a concentration sensor for a sample is provided on a downstream side of a mass sensor. This makes it possible to learn concentration of a sample solution at the time when a mass is detected by the mass sensor. When the concentration and the mass are substituted in a predetermined logical expression, it is possible to obtain a predicted value of a dissociation constant. The concentration sensor is a capacitor constituted by electrodes opposed to each other. Since a dielectric constant changes when analytes are present between the electrodes, it is possible to detect analyte concentration according to the dielectric constant. Since it is possible to reduce a size of the capacitor, it is possible to keep a size of a micro-reactor small. Note that the mass sensor outputs a resonance frequency of a quartz resonator. A measuring apparatus can calculate a mass from transition of this frequency.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the invention [0002] The present invention relates to a micro-reactor, a dissociation constant measuring apparatus, a dissociation constant measuring method, and a dissociation constant measuring program and relates to, for example, those used for search for a compound that bonds with abnormal protein. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] In recent years, analyses of the human genome (genetic information of the human) have been completed and clarification of a relation between abnormal protein generated by an abnormal genetic structure and diseases has been in progress. [0005] Through the clarification of the relation, a developing method for new drugs is changing from an existing method relaying on experiences and intuitions of developers concerning drugs and compounds to a method of searching for a compound directly acting on abnormal protein to use the compound as a new drug. By adopting this method, it is expected that a ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides a micro-reactor and a dissociation constant measuring apparatus that can predict the dissociation constant of a sample and an acquisition substance in a solution at an initial stage of reaction. The micro-reactor includes a flow path through which a solution containing the sample is fed, mass acquiring means that acquires mass information of the sample, concentration acquiring means that acquires concentration information of the sample, and dissociation constant calculating means that calculates the dissociation constant of the sample and the acquisition substance using the mass and concentration information. The invention also provides a dissociation constant calculating method and a dissociation constant calculating program for calculating the dissociation constant of the sample and the acquisition substance. The technical effect of the invention is to enable the prediction of the dissociation constant of a sample and an acquisition substance in a solution at an initial stage of reaction.

Problems solved by technology

However, at present, measurement performed by a micro-reactor without using the labeled substance attracts attention.

Conventionally, to calculate a dissociation constant, reaction of ligands and analytes is required to reach an equilibrium state, which takes a long time.

Thus, there is a problem in that it takes time to obtain a dissociation constant.

Since there are enormous combinations of ligands and analytes related to search, there is a problem in terms of cost in continuing an experiment until the reaction reaches equilibrium for all the combinations.

There is also a problem in that a large quantity of expensive samples are consumed by performing an experiment for a long time.

However, accurate prediction is difficult.

As a major cause of such difficulty in the prediction, when the solution supplied to the sensor is switched from the buffer solution to the sample solution, since concentration of the sample gradually changes in the sensor, the concentration of the sample solution in the sensor is unknown at an initial stage of the reaction.

However, actually, even if a change in the mass is detected by the sensor, since the course of a change in concentration of the sample to that point is unknown, it is difficult to predict concentration of the sample.

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